Top Harvard official accused of ethics breach over $42M paid to his own law firm

The Harvard University official accused of ethics breach is Lawrence Summers, who served as President of Harvard from 2001 to 2006. According to a report by the Boston Globe, Summers paid $42 million in legal fees to his own law firm, WilmerHale, while he was on the board of Harvard. The payment was made in 2005 and was approved by the university's Board of Overseers.

The ethics complaint alleges that Summers violated Harvard's conflict of interest policy by paying his own law firm for legal services related to a dispute between Harvard and a former employee, Paul Tudor Jones. The complaint also alleges that Summers failed to disclose the payment to the Board of Overseers and to Harvard's community.

The ethics complaint was filed by a group of Harvard alumni who are calling for an independent investigation into the matter. They argue that the payment violates Harvard's conflict of interest policy and undermines public trust in the university.

Harvard has not yet responded to the ethics complaint or the allegations against Summers. However, the university has a long history of controversy surrounding its governance and management, including allegations of financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest involving top officials.